An artist's impression of Whangarei's new Forum North performance theatre
An artist's impression of Whangarei's new Forum North performance theatre
A new $45 million Forum North performance theatre takes centre stage again for Whangārei.
Mayor Sheryl Mai said the proposed 850-seat venue would add a much-needed theatre opportunity for the city.
Whangārei District Council (WDC) formally reconfirmed its support for the new performance theatre, voting unanimously for a notice of motion from Mai (Deputy Mayor Greg Innes was absent from the meeting).
"We really want to confirm to our community that this (Forum North) is the site for a new performance theatre," Mai said.
The council has $10 million budgeted for Forum North improvements between 2025 and 2029. It also has $6.3 million lyric theatre seed funding between 2027 and 2031.
Lachie McLean, Forum North Trust chair, welcomed the formally reconfirmed news.
"It's great to know the lyric theatre is back in the picture," McLean said.
"We're going back to the future, going back to the commitment we have made already, we can honour the commitment...," Mai said at last Thursday's council meeting.
"It's important for our community to confirm this (Forum North) will be the site for the theatre."
That would assist the community in going out to seek supporting funding for their plans.
The lyric theatre will be in addition to Forum North's existing Capitaine Bougainville theatre.
WDC's new $55 million civic centre in Rust Ave is due to open at the end of 2022 with staff moving out of Forum North that was built in 1982.
The council's reconfirmation comes as Forum North redevelopment negotiations proceed at pace. It will be a key part of a planned new civic, cultural and education precinct framing the city's south-east around Bank and Vine Streets.
Mai said Forum North would be home for the lyric theatre and "other exciting things as well".
The new theatre was a key part of Forum North council/private/community redevelopment to create a larger arts and cultural presence in the city centre, she said.
It moved off the stage earlier this year in the wake of $60 million government funding towards the controversial ratepayer/Government-funded $136 million Oruku Landing conference and event centre on Riverside Dr - part of a private developer's bigger accommodation, hotel and retail development.
An artist's impression of the entrance of Whangarei's new Forum North performance theatre. Image / Supplied
Those wanting the proposed Oruku Landing conference and event centre said performance theatre could take place in that new facility.
On November 26, WDC voted to abandon the controversial Oruku Landing proposal after more than 80 per cent of an unprecedented 5,000-plus submissions it received were against proceeding with the project.
Mai said many Oruku Landing centre submitters had called for the council to stick with its already-in-place Forum North performance theatre plans.
She said the new precinct around Forum North would create greater synergy between performing arts, cultural activities and local business and frame the south-east side of the city. The lyric theatre, and other key existing facilities such as the central library, would be integrated into the new precinct.
Mai said the council was currently working through a Forum North condition assessment. This would help inform potential new partners' involvement and how the facility was redeveloped.
Cr Tricia Cutforth said the public had always understood Forum North was going to be the location for a new lyric theatre.
She said Hundertwasser Art Centre, and potentially the Oruku Landing event centre, had come in ahead of the theatre, which had effectively been waiting in line.
Cutforth and Cr Phil Halse are working with potentially interested Forum North redevelopment 'parties'.
Halse plans to come back to the council early in the new year with more information on this.
Cr Anna Murphy said Forum North was close to town and the adjacent existing rail would in future bring people into the facility and city centre.
Meanwhile, Mai said she hoped private developers would give new consideration to what was to have been the development planned for Oruku Landing. The council had initially earmarked the location as a privately-funded residential and tourist accommodation option called Basin View.
